As a teacher there are several key points I want to emphasize. My goal is to create a culture or community based on mutual respect, encourage students to think critically and creatively, and for students to understand how they can use these skills from my class in the real world. In order to achieve this for all of the diverse learners in the classroom, multiple pedagogical techniques and assessments will be used.
Teaching begins on the first day because you are establishing a first impression on students. Creating a culture within your classroom on day one seems to be the most important issue teachers face. Students come in either having heard stories of your classroom or with a clean slate. Either way, the first day and how you create the culture you want in your classroom is key to succeeding. To establish this culture I will resolve students questions on day one by establishing clear procedures and rules. In order to get students on board with the rules, they will also create a few so they take ownership of the classroom. The type of culture I want is based on an understanding that students have entered a classroom where they will be effective members of a learning community. I want them to understand that although we may have our differences it is not acceptable to put anyone down for their thoughts or expressions. Collaboration is necessary to succeed, as we will work together to understand how to think critically and creatively like a scientist. By clearly stating what is expected from students and establishing rules that students can take ownership, I hope to create a community of learners.
To engage students in the lessons I present, I will invest time to get to know them on deeper level. By this I mean I will understand their strengths, weaknesses, interests and hobbies. Knowing this information will allow me to incorporate them into my lessons so students come in wanting to learn more. However, just knowing this will not get students to think critically and creatively. Therefore, multiple pedagogical techniques such as a hook, direct instruction, scaffolding, cooperative groups, managerial, behavioral and creating a scope and sequence that flows smoothly will aid in student learning. The end goal is for students to be able to communicate their thinking to solutions and problems clearly in speech and writing. Before any of this can occur, students must understand the real world implications that they can use from learning.
“It takes a village to raise a child” holds true in school. My goal is to build connections with experts in a variety of scientific/nonscientific areas and have them speak to students about how science influences their job. For example, I went to REI recently for shoes and one of the salesmen approached me to discuss what I needed. From this experience I learned that soles are created based on the type of terrain we plan on using them in. Prior to this, I never thought about how shoes were made and that so much creativity, testing and science was involved. Another example would be to bring in a restoration ecologist into class who I have already observed giving a presentation. These experts bring in a new perspective that most students may have never seen. Hopefully, the enthusiasm that they bring when they present will carry over into the students. By bringing in experts of their fields or parents, I hope students will see that science is all around us. Furthermore, I plan on making it known that learning how to think critically can help them in any field they choose whether it be science or becoming a lawyer.
The reason behind creating a culture first is that students understand what to expect and how they will accomplish something in the classroom. This is established the first day of school when students enter the classroom. After creating a community of learners based on collaboration and mutual respect, the fun can begin. Teaching students science content does not seem to be a problem. The problem lies in understanding how to think. When I was in school I was never taught to how think and communicate effectively. I succeeded because I figured out what the teacher wanted and gave it to them. I was only fixated on getting the answer and never about the journey to find it. Therefore, understanding how to think critically is important. Due to my personal knowledge of this phenomenon, I will be able to curb this behavior. This can be accomplished by demonstrating how everything connects to the real world or how they can use it now. Every time I was taught something it was never apparent if I was ever going to use it outside of that class. From this, I went through many classes “learning” the content superficially and lost the knowledge after never using it. By getting students to see how science is applicable in the real world they hopefully will take the content more seriously. To assess student learning I will use multiple techniques such as informal labs, graphic organizers, and the creation of posters. Formative assessment will occur to make sure no students fall behind as I make it a point for all students to succeed. The idea is that I will hold high expectations for all students and consistently make it known.
Teaching begins on the first day because you are establishing a first impression on students. Creating a culture within your classroom on day one seems to be the most important issue teachers face. Students come in either having heard stories of your classroom or with a clean slate. Either way, the first day and how you create the culture you want in your classroom is key to succeeding. To establish this culture I will resolve students questions on day one by establishing clear procedures and rules. In order to get students on board with the rules, they will also create a few so they take ownership of the classroom. The type of culture I want is based on an understanding that students have entered a classroom where they will be effective members of a learning community. I want them to understand that although we may have our differences it is not acceptable to put anyone down for their thoughts or expressions. Collaboration is necessary to succeed, as we will work together to understand how to think critically and creatively like a scientist. By clearly stating what is expected from students and establishing rules that students can take ownership, I hope to create a community of learners.
To engage students in the lessons I present, I will invest time to get to know them on deeper level. By this I mean I will understand their strengths, weaknesses, interests and hobbies. Knowing this information will allow me to incorporate them into my lessons so students come in wanting to learn more. However, just knowing this will not get students to think critically and creatively. Therefore, multiple pedagogical techniques such as a hook, direct instruction, scaffolding, cooperative groups, managerial, behavioral and creating a scope and sequence that flows smoothly will aid in student learning. The end goal is for students to be able to communicate their thinking to solutions and problems clearly in speech and writing. Before any of this can occur, students must understand the real world implications that they can use from learning.
“It takes a village to raise a child” holds true in school. My goal is to build connections with experts in a variety of scientific/nonscientific areas and have them speak to students about how science influences their job. For example, I went to REI recently for shoes and one of the salesmen approached me to discuss what I needed. From this experience I learned that soles are created based on the type of terrain we plan on using them in. Prior to this, I never thought about how shoes were made and that so much creativity, testing and science was involved. Another example would be to bring in a restoration ecologist into class who I have already observed giving a presentation. These experts bring in a new perspective that most students may have never seen. Hopefully, the enthusiasm that they bring when they present will carry over into the students. By bringing in experts of their fields or parents, I hope students will see that science is all around us. Furthermore, I plan on making it known that learning how to think critically can help them in any field they choose whether it be science or becoming a lawyer.
The reason behind creating a culture first is that students understand what to expect and how they will accomplish something in the classroom. This is established the first day of school when students enter the classroom. After creating a community of learners based on collaboration and mutual respect, the fun can begin. Teaching students science content does not seem to be a problem. The problem lies in understanding how to think. When I was in school I was never taught to how think and communicate effectively. I succeeded because I figured out what the teacher wanted and gave it to them. I was only fixated on getting the answer and never about the journey to find it. Therefore, understanding how to think critically is important. Due to my personal knowledge of this phenomenon, I will be able to curb this behavior. This can be accomplished by demonstrating how everything connects to the real world or how they can use it now. Every time I was taught something it was never apparent if I was ever going to use it outside of that class. From this, I went through many classes “learning” the content superficially and lost the knowledge after never using it. By getting students to see how science is applicable in the real world they hopefully will take the content more seriously. To assess student learning I will use multiple techniques such as informal labs, graphic organizers, and the creation of posters. Formative assessment will occur to make sure no students fall behind as I make it a point for all students to succeed. The idea is that I will hold high expectations for all students and consistently make it known.